Watching Him Ignoring Me
by Indigo-Night-Wisp
Summary: There's chalk dust all over him, his hair is a mess, he hasn't looked at her even once since she came into the room, and all she can think is that he's never been more adorable.


**Disclaimer: I own it not. Keep your lawsuits to yourself.**

**A/N: It has come to my realization-slowly, I know-that I don't actually have to announce every time I take a break from one fandom. It was an awkward, and slightly difficult to grasp concept, but I got it. **

**This is my first foray into the Numb3rs fandom. I love the show, have for years, and so have decided to give fanfiction a go.**

* * *

><p>She steps into the classroom and pauses. At the blackboard, Charlie is scribbling, chalk gripped between his fingers with the loose but firm grip perfected over years of writing on blackboards. On the slate itself, a math problem spans the once-empty space, transforming it into a portal for Charlie's mental processes and thoughts to escape and wow the rest of the world. She remembers it from a few years ago in an extra-curricular math class she took; it's a long equation, and a hard one. Charlie nearly has it solved.<p>

Amita clears her throat briefly, but he doesn't turn, he just keeps writing. There are no headphones on his ears, he isn't muttering to himself-suggesting a spiral into the numbers that he won't come out of for days-he simply isn't responding. Too caught up in the mysteries of math and his own mind that he is communicating to the previously empty room.

She's pretty sure that other people would be bothered by this. Bothered by the simple fact that their presence does not rank above a math problem. Somehow… she really doesn't mind.

Maybe it's because she knows Charlie, knows his heart, and knows exactly where his true feelings and priorities lie. She knows that if she really, truly wanted to, she could get his attention with a simple touch, and hand on his arm or a poke to his side.

Thing is, she _doesn't _want to.

There's chalk dust all over him, his hair is a mess, he hasn't looked at her even once since she came in the room, and all Amita can think is that he's never been more adorable.

He scowls suddenly, glaring at the board and with an abrupt motion of his arm, starts wiping away the marks he just put there, mouthing something she can't make out. He's made a mistake, and he hates that. She smiles softly, because he's cute when he's upset too.

Behind her, the door opens quietly, and she turns to find Don standing there, watching her and Charlie with a strange quirk in his lips. He moves forward silently to stand next to her and they smile a greeting at each other.

Don leans over to whisper, "How long has he been like that?"

She whispers back, "Ever since I got here."

Don frowns. "You mean he's been ignoring you this whole time? And you're just letting him?"

Amita grins at him. "Yes," she says simply, because she knows Don will understand in just a second. Sure enough, he glances back at Charlie again and stares for a minute, watching the flying, scrambling hands and the frantic chalk scraping across the slate. He turns back to Amita with a sigh and makes a face. She laughs, knowing he gets it.

"Yeah, he is kind of cute like that isn't he?" he says wryly, tossing an affectionate look in his little brother's direction. Amita raises her eyebrows in an obvious _kind of? _and smiles again. Don shakes his head and, this time a little regretfully, starts toward his brother to pull him out of the numbers.

Charlie comes back quickly, the presence of two of the most important people in his life too great a factor for him to overlook, especially with the gentle pressure of Don's hand on his shoulder. He flashes a slightly guilty smile at them both and exclaims, "Don! Amita! Sorry, I… I didn't see you there."

Don laughs, easily forgiving him, and Amita's smile only widens, her soft eyes telling the curly-haired mathematician that there's nothing to forgive. She moves further into the room, waving Don ahead of her; her business can wait. Charlie's brother takes him by the upper arm and turns him toward one of the desks, already unfolding a map and informing Charlie of the latest case. Amita watches as Charlie's interest and attention are engaged, and she sees the exact second the numbers start moving in his head and behind his big brown eyes. She glances up to see Don watching her again, one hand resting on his little brother's back, as Charlie bends over the map. His eyes are amused.

She grins at him and goes back to watching Charlie ignore her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you all enjoyed, and that those of you who have been writing in this fandom for some time don't wish me ill health now. **

**As may be obvious, my favorite part of Numb3rs is the brother's relationship, followed closely by Charlie's friendship with Larry and romance with Amita. As Charlie puts it, "Geek love." What more do you need?**


End file.
